diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/review/ReviewTab.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/review/ReviewTab.tsx
index 56cd98b..20d46d9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/review/ReviewTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/review/ReviewTab.tsx
@@ -234,49 +234,47 @@ export function ReviewTab({ initiativeId }: ReviewTabProps) {
         preview={previewState}
       />
 
-      {/* Main content area */}
-      {isDiffLoading ? (
-        <div className="flex h-64 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground gap-2">
-          <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />
-          Loading diff...
-        </div>
-      ) : (
-        <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-[1fr_260px]">
-          {/* Left: Diff */}
-          <div className="min-w-0 p-4">
-            {files.length === 0 ? (
-              <div className="flex h-32 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground text-sm">
-                {selectedCommit
-                  ? "No changes in this commit"
-                  : "No changes in this phase"}
-              </div>
-            ) : (
-              <DiffViewer
-                files={files}
-                comments={comments}
-                onAddComment={handleAddComment}
-                onResolveComment={handleResolveComment}
-                onUnresolveComment={handleUnresolveComment}
-              />
-            )}
-          </div>
-
-          {/* Right: Sidebar — sticky so icon strip stays visible */}
-          <div className="border-l border-border">
-            <div className="sticky top-0 h-[calc(100vh-12rem)]">
-              <ReviewSidebar
-                files={allFiles}
-                comments={comments}
-                onFileClick={handleFileClick}
-                selectedCommit={selectedCommit}
-                activeFiles={files}
-                commits={commits}
-                onSelectCommit={setSelectedCommit}
-              />
+      {/* Main content area — sidebar always rendered to preserve state */}
+      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-[1fr_260px]">
+        {/* Left: Diff */}
+        <div className="min-w-0 p-4">
+          {isDiffLoading ? (
+            <div className="flex h-64 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground gap-2">
+              <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />
+              Loading diff...
             </div>
+          ) : files.length === 0 ? (
+            <div className="flex h-32 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground text-sm">
+              {selectedCommit
+                ? "No changes in this commit"
+                : "No changes in this phase"}
+            </div>
+          ) : (
+            <DiffViewer
+              files={files}
+              comments={comments}
+              onAddComment={handleAddComment}
+              onResolveComment={handleResolveComment}
+              onUnresolveComment={handleUnresolveComment}
+            />
+          )}
+        </div>
+
+        {/* Right: Sidebar — sticky so icon strip stays visible */}
+        <div className="border-l border-border">
+          <div className="sticky top-0 h-[calc(100vh-12rem)]">
+            <ReviewSidebar
+              files={allFiles}
+              comments={comments}
+              onFileClick={handleFileClick}
+              selectedCommit={selectedCommit}
+              activeFiles={files}
+              commits={commits}
+              onSelectCommit={setSelectedCommit}
+            />
           </div>
         </div>
-      )}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }